The Atlantic's In Focus publishes its Year in Photos 2012

The Atlantic's excellent 'In Focus' photo blog has published the third and final part of its 2012 Year in Photos. The three-part series includes 135 images from around the world, covering a great breadth of events and subjects. As you'd expect of such a review, there are some occasionally graphic images that some readers may find disturbing but there are also some astonishing photos giving a surprising views of other countries and cultures.

We've chosen three of our favorite images from the three-part article, and you can click on them (or the text links) to see Atlantic's full selection. And as always, let us know your favorites in the comments.

Still in orbit, here is the International Space Station, 240 miles above earth. This is a composite image, assembled from a series of images taken from a camera mounted on the station. (NASA/Don Pettit)

President Barack Obama hugs his wife Michelle, after she introduces him at a campaign event at the Village of East Davenport in Davenport, Iowa, on August 15, 2012. Following the President's re-election this image became the most-Tweeted photograph ever. (Scout Tufankjian/Obama for America)

I:7, Roger Federer. Looks like an oil painting.III:29, Space shuttle/basketball. Great juxtaposition, though prob setup. I reckon you'd be watching the space shuttle rather than play ball at a time like that.

I just love seeing these All-American photos.An all those conflict oriented pics to. It just warms my heart me that they always feature rebels in them.Funny how a country that was OK by all is suddenly demonized, and how we all document the struggle of the little man...

LOL, Looking at those pictures is like looking at a good, summer Hollywood movie.Oh, wait... duh!

All in all, good images. Mainly tragedies, wars, violence, presidents and an occasional beauty. What I'd like to see, and I'm surely not alone in this, would be for the percentages of those in reverse order.

That's a bit egocentric IMO. You may not like the brutality of conflicts but the people involved in those tragedies and wars are thankful that these shots are deemed more newsworthy than beauty. In many cases it raises awareness and saves lives (photo #12, part 2, is probably the most obvious example)

I meant the occurrence, of course. So far, no quantity of war or violence images seems to be able to reduce their endless sources.And instead of highlighting the life's beauties, the informative sources have conditioned us to accept the ugly side of life as something normal - until it happens to us.Since the war has happened to me, I'm looking at it a bit differently.

"So far, no quantity of war or violence images seems to be able to reduce their endless sources"The photo I mentioned earlier pretty much dispels that point.

Frankly, that myopic view on life is a constituent part of what allows anything from bullies to dictators to rule in impunity. The sooner we embrace that fact and act upon it the sooner the usurpers of power will fall.You mention being involved in a war, what is your stance then on truth and reconciliation commissions? - and the ugly squeletons uncovered by them?